Death of the dog and pony show?
Besides heading up MindComet’s media department, I also oversee the entire technology group. Technology is where my roots are. In that particular role, I’ve made more than a few software/service purchasing decisions…which means sitting through multiple demos given by sales people all claiming to have the best product. Invariably, everyone always says their product is the best. But, how can this be?
It can’t.
As a purchaser, I know that they’re not all equal, despite the claims. Once you’ve heard three people say their product is the best, rest assured that two of the presentations you’ve heard are dog and pony shows (look, I understand. It’s sales. Going in saying, “sure my competitor’s product kicks our ass, but…“, isn’t a winning formula for hitting quotas). It’s my job to spend hours wading through sales speak to find out exactly who’s the “nuts” and who’s not. It can be tough.
Cue social media.
The internet and social media are now the great equalizer. Establishing a relationship is no longer a guessing game. Questions like is their product reliable, how’s their customer service, and are their other customers happy can be answered before signing a contract. Just put your ear to the ground and listen in customer communities. Ask past and current customers questions about the product on social platforms. They’re generally very honest…sometimes brutally honest.
According to a blog post on eMarketer, only 17% of people trust advertisers. The majority of consumers trust word-of-mouth recommendations by friends and family. While many of the people you engage in social media are relative strangers, it’s valuable feedback that can contribute to your decision. Personally, I strive for a decent sampling of feedback and look for patterns. What was the overall sentiment about the product? How did people generally feel about the level of customer service?
Do you research products independently on social media platforms before making a purchase?
Posted by Jeremy Hilton on Jun. 08, 2009
Comments
I totally agree. If Twitter had been around when I was involved in purchasing for SD Times, it would have been a very different experience. Outfitting a new office for a start-up is challenging enough. Your business isn’t running yet, so you don’t know the answers to questions salepeople will ask: how many copies will you need to make, how many packages will you need to meter, how many phone lines will you need, how many workstations will you have? You’re choosing office equipment and phone services based on guesstimates, and you can lock yourself into costly leases for machines well beyond what you really need. Finding the right vendors to work with can save you headaches and money, and now with social media networks, it’s easier to find them. And there’s nowhere for the bad seeds to hide.
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Posted by Epimusperse on 07/24/2009 10:44 AM
Great post! I have to sit through the same kind of calls and I have yet to hear a sales person say, “well, my product is good, but not great in these areas…“ Oh, if everyone could only be honest and candid, but since they can’t social media does make it easy to ask around and get recommendations for products. Personally, I put 90% weight on referrals, recommendations and reviews and only 10% on the sales experience.
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